We're Open!

We opened the doors to our new Co-op on Wednesday, June 26th! Our great staff and volunteers put in long hours the month leading up to our opening. Thanks to everyone's help, we were only closed for one day for the move. Stop in and have a look at our new Co-op.

Let the countdown begin.....

It's hard to believe, but we plan to move into our new Co-op in 8 days! Things will still be a bit rough around the edges when we move in, but we should have things inside pretty much ready to go.

Staff and volunteers have been busy unloading trucks and figuring out ways to get large deliveries into a store without a loading dock.

We received a whole semi-truck full of Lozier Shelving. It's all set up and ready to go.

I've been busy multitasking to get the job done. It's exciting to be so close to opening the new store.

Check Stands and Refrigerated Cases

Daily deliveries are arriving at the Co-op. We'll have it filled with good food in no time. Here are our check stands - complete with conveyor belts and grocery catching areas.

We'll have 24' of fresh organic and local produce. The Co-op will also expand our fresh meats, grab and go deli, cooler and frozen foods.

We waited to install the front doors so it would be easier to load in the new coolers.

Lots of Activity at the New Co-op!

 

Here's our new Co-op Deli. Note the walk in cooler and vent hood. We're moving up in the world from a hot plate and small convection oven!

Here is a view of the store. They've been working on finishing up the HVAC ducting and sheetrocking this week. Painting is next followed by floor grinding.

Here's a view of the inside of the 11 door backloading dairy cooler. The large doors are beautiful.

Walk-In Coolers

 

The walk-in coolers have arrived! All of these panels will get pieced together into three walk-in coolers and one walk-in freezer. We are really looking forward to having a commercial back stock freezer with enough room to hold a weeks worth of frozen food.

Here is the load from behind dairy cooler. Stockers will be able to keep the milk and dairy stocked from inside the cooler without having to interrupt shoppers.

Another view of the walk-in dairy cooler.

Pouring Concrete

The crew started pouring the concrete floor last Friday and hope to finish up this Wednesday. There are four inches of foam under the concrete to insulate the floor. Insulating the concrete will improve the overall comfort in the building and helps reduce heating and cooling costs. The final floor finish in the store will be polished concrete which is easy to maintain and an economical choice.

Plumbing, Electrical and a Grand Entrance

County Plumbing and Hunt Electric have been busy laying plumbing and electrical lines. Contractors plan to start pouring the concrete floor on Thursday.

 

The entrance to the Co-op is starting to take shape. The sliding glass doors will get installed later in the project to protect them from construction activity. 

The Duluth News Tribune published an article about our project in today's paper. Check it out at:

http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/261048/group/Business/

Timber Frame Meeting Room

Local builders Peter Jansen and Woody Seim have been working on the Timber Frame detail for our meeting room in the new Co-op.

 

It will be a great space to hang out in with this beautiful ceiling.

A Colorful Co-op

We've been working with our designer, architect and builder to choose colors for our new Co-op. Above is a drawing showing how our the new Co-op will look. The siding is stained pine and the green is stucco. The rock will be Virginia Slate from the Iron Range.

Here is a story board which shows the interior colors in the new Co-op. We will have a picture of the mural along the back wall of the Co-op and you can see how the other colors selected tie into the bright colors of the mural. Most of the floor will be stained concrete, but the offices will have the fun striped carpet in them.

 

Another view of the front of our Co-op.

Roof

The roof is finally complete! The building is fully enclosed so there shouldn't be many more weather delays. The new Co-op is going to be a one story building with a "flat" rubber roof membrane, with a 90 mph rating at the lakeside edge. Flat is in parenthesis because it slopes to drains on the roof to avoid standing water, and this will help avoid having water pouring over the roof onto the walkways and customers.

We decided to go with a flat roof to allow a second story at some future date. We have maximized our lot so if we decide to expand in the future, going up is the only solution - besides moving to a different location. I know that it seems to be premature to talk about future expansions, but it is good to be prepared. The building is designed and engineered to allow a second story so we're ready for whatever the future may bring.

Windows

Windows are being installed in the new Co-op. All of the windows are Energy Star rated triple paned with Low-E glass. Low-E coatings improve energy efficiency and let the sunshine in while reducing solar heat gain. We've opted for all fixed windows which will help with climate control in the new store. Commercial refrigerators and freezers require specific temperature and humidity levels to perform optimally so fixed windows will help our HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system do its job efficiently.

Making Progress

After a very cold week where the contractors were unable to work on our new Co-op, the weather cooperated and progress is being made on enclosing our new Co-op.

Things are taking shape. This is how the ceiling of our new Co-op will look.

Once the 2 x 6 tongue and groove paneling is complete, the roofing will begin. There will be fewer delays once the building is enclosed.

Setting Ceiling Beams

The walls on the new Co-op are complete so contractors have set the steel columns and have started setting the glulam and steel beams. Windy weather delayed progress but once all of the beams are in place contractors will install the roof sheathing which will be 2" x 6" tongue and groove pine from Hedstrom's Lumber Company. We're looking forward to having a roof on the new building to avoid additional weather delays and to create a warmer working environment for the contractors.

 

Triple glaze windows will be installed once the roof is in place.

 

 Here's another view of the posts and beams.

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